


Your Own Worst Enemy

by WayWardWonderer



Category: The Real Ghostbusters
Genre: Anger, Bonding, Ego, Friendship, Gen, Guilt, Hurt, Pride, Trauma, Wounded, injured
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-18
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-11-02 02:26:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10935051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WayWardWonderer/pseuds/WayWardWonderer
Summary: After Winston gets injured on a bust Ray feels responsible, and Peter's anger only adds to Ray's guilt.  But when Ray becomes injured trying to atone for his error it's Peter who feels responsible and guilty.  Bonds of friendship will either be strengthened or severed in the end.





	Your Own Worst Enemy

In pursuit of a Class-3 full torso apparition around a construction site at the docks the four Ghostbusters stumbled over the strewn about pieces of equipment and tools, never losing visual of their elusive target. The apparition was bright yellow and stood out boldly against the red paint that colored the construction site and against the aged wood of the docks.

Winston Zeddemore and Dr. Egon Spengler took a sharp left through the construction sight while Dr. Peter Venkman and Dr. Ray Stantz took a right. By splitting off into two teams it doubled the odds of pinning down and capturing the troublesome ghost before it had a chance to cause and more mischief in the city.

"Cut it off by the trucks!" Peter called out as he and Ray kept to the right of the construction sight. "It's trying to loop back around! Probably going to find it's Class-5 buddy and gang up on us!"

"I didn't see where that one went!" Ray admitted as he continued his pursuit of the yellow Class-3. The blue bodied Class-5 moved much quicker than its yellow counterpart and managed to avoid chase. "I'll find it though, don't sweat it!"

"Got it!" Winston hastened his pace, running quicker than Egon's long stride.

"Careful!" Ray cautioned as he eyed the delicate structure still being built and secured to the ground. "Don't knock anything loose!"

Egon paused mid step and analyzed the situation. "Ray is correct. We need to lure the ghost away from the construction site."

"Not going to be a problem!" Peter responded as he aimed his proton pack and let loose the particle beam. The ghost ducked the beam, which then grazed past a large red, steel support column. "...there's a problem!"

The impact from the proton stream only singed the surface of the beam, nothing was destroyed or even loosened by the blast.

"Okay, good idea." Peter admitted feeling a little bullheaded by his previous actions. "Lure the ghost away!"

"Can do." Winston began strategically narrowing the ghost's path by using short, quick bursts from his proton pack. The ghost ducked down, wove and twisted around the powerful energy streams. As the ghost was forced away from the construction site and back into an opened field Ray threw down a trap and aided Winston with his own proton stream. "Just a few more feet! Then we'll have that ghost in the bag!"

Peter and Egon didn't fire. Neither man wanted to add to the already raucous scene and risk destroying the site.

"Easy now, almost there..." Winston kept his eye on the ghost and lined it up with the drawn trap. "and NOW." Switching his beam into a confinement stream he held the ghost at bay while Ray fired off one last proton stream, which rocked the metal scaffolding at the edge of the opened field by accident.

"Winston!" Egon noticed the unstable scaffold first. "Watch your back!"

Just as the ghost was dropped into the trap, Ray stomped on the switch which slammed the top of the trap shut.

In that instant Winston switched off his pack and turned his gaze just long enough to watch as the towering metal scaffold tilted and fell down directly on top of him. A thunderous crash and the clanking of metal tools colliding with every metal fiber in the immediate area deafened the air as a cloud of stirred up dirt blinded the entire field.

"Winston?!" Ray's eyes went wide as he paled, realizing all too late the catastrophic error or his actions.

The noise of the collapsed silenced and the dust steadily settled. There was nothing moving, no one was speaking. Time seemed to come a sudden stop, only to have reality come snapping back like a slap to the face.

"Winston!" Peter rushed over the the wreckage of the debris that once was a scaffold and began digging away at the numerous layers of metal sheeting and wooden boards. "Winston, say something pal!" He couldn't stop himself from glaring a bitter hold into Ray as he began rummaging through the debris. "This is why we look before we fire..."

Peter's harsh words cut deep into Ray's psyche, causing the sensitive empathetic man to lock up with tremendous doubt.

Egon raced over to the wreckage site and began pulling away broken pieces of construction equipment and materials. His keen eyes noticed a very fine layer of blue ectoplasm coating the structure, however a thick layer of dirt obscured the ectoplasm and left it too contaminated for proper testing. "Hm, very strange..." Egon thought to himself. Looking over his shoulder he spied Ray statuesque, his legs unwilling to move.

Ray couldn't move. The horrific realization that he was responsible for Winston, that he was the one who caused the scaffolding to collapse despite the warning; how could he possibly face Winston?"I... I'm sorry..."

"Ray!" Egon's deep voice was calm, not angry or even worried. "We need your help."

Without another word Ray felt his body moving toward the collapse, almost as if he was being pulled along on a string. Instinctively he began pulling away the smothering pieces of broken scaffolding, ignoring the pain that the sharp edges of the metal and broken beams caused as they cut deeply into his palms and fingers.

"Hold it!" Peter froze with the exception of his heaving chest, his hands still clutching at a piece of sheet metal. "I thought I heard something, Winston!"

"...here." A voice responded from beneath the pile.

Ray's heart skipped a beat. "I heard that! He's close!" He shook his head as a wave of relief washed away his guilt. "He's alive..."

Peter pushed aside the sheet metal he had been holding and exposed an arm. "Winston!" Reaching down he grabbed the arm and found the hand attached. "Hold on man, we'll get you out!"

Winston gripped onto Peter's hand firmly. "Get me out of here, my leg's killing me!"

Peter slowly pulled Winston up from the pile, sheet metal and broken boards sliding away. Winston was able to sit up in the pile, freeing his upper body from the heavy debris. Egon reached down behind Winston and wrapped his arms around Winston's chest.

"Watch it!" Winston flinched in pain and gritted his teeth together. "My arm's killing me too!"

Egon looked down at Winston's uncovered right arm and noticed that his shoulder was severely dislocated. Keeping the damaged limb in mind Egon was careful not to jostle the bad arm anymore than necessary.

"Almost there..." Peter kept his grip firm as he pulled Winston up from the debris pile with Egon's help.

"That's it, stop!" Egon could see the blood stains on Winston's jumpsuit stretching from his right upper thigh down to his calf. After Peter reluctantly let go Egon wrapped Winston's 'good' arm around his shoulders he shifted most of Winston's weight from his 'bad' leg onto his own body for support. "Peter help me lift him up, careful of his leg."

"Got it." Peter moved to Winston's right and wrapped his arm around the injured man's waist, mindful to not touch the dislocated shoulder or touch the lacerated leg. "On three: One, two... three!"

Winston groaned in pain as Egon and Peter worked together to half carry, half drag their colleague from the collapsed debris and away from the dangerous locale. Ray watched helplessly, feeling like a fool, as his three friends slowly walked back to Ecto-1 parked at the end of the docks.

Ray followed slowly, only to stop to pick up the smoking trap. As he stared at the blinking light on the metallic trap he closed his head and sighed wearily. "All of this just for one ghost. Was it even worth it?"

"Easy, pal." Peter helped Winston to sit down on the rear bumper of Ecto-1. "Egon's calling for an ambulance."

Winston looked down at his bleeding leg and pressed his good hand to the bloody wound on his thigh. "Good thing, too. Pretty sure I broke something."

Thinking quickly Peter retrieved a clean cloth from the storage compartment within Ecto-1 and wrapped it around the bleeding injury sight. "Here, it's not much but every little bit helps."

"Thanks."

Ray trailed along behind his friends, the guilt in his heart weighing him down. Seeing Winston alert and talking should've been a huge relief to the guilt riddle occultist, but instead he felt worse. A part of him felt as though seeing Winston sitting upright and chatting with Peter was like a cruel joke and that at any moment he get hit with an equally cruel punchline, like Winston suddenly collapsing or even... dying.

Egon returned to his colleagues after making the call to 911. "They'll be here shortly. How're you feeling Winston?"

"Alright, I guess." He looked passed Egon to Ray and flashed the man a confused look. "All things considered it could've been alot worse, right?"

Egon followed Winston's gaze to the melancholy Ray who was standing off to the side in silence. Turning back to Winston he could tell from the look in the injured man's eyes that he bore no ill will, but Peter, his eyes were hot with an anger that always warranted everyone else to keep distance until he cooled down.

The sound of sirens in the distance drew Egon back to Winston and to the bleeding injury to his leg. The cloth has helped stem the flow of the blood but the fabric had been quickly saturated through with blood and couldn't hold anymore.

As the ambulance pulled up behind Ecto-1 Peter turned his attention to the arrived paramedics to fill them in on the cause and visible extent to Winston's injuries. Egon stayed with Winston, keeping one hand on Winston's good shoulder to support him while also keeping a close eye on every little physical change that Winston exhibited.

Ray just stood his ground feeling unwelcome like he was a nuisance or a burden to his friends. Every fiber of his being felt like it was being torn apart as he watched the paramedics cut away the tattered legging on Winston's jumpsuit, exposing the bloodied mangled limb beneath. White gauze that wrapped around Winston's leg quickly turned red with the continued loss of blood, the sight of which caused Ray's stomach lurch and twist around.

Putting a hand over his mouth he quickly ducked out of sight as he rushed to the opened water below the docks. Kneeling down on all fours he took one last look at his pitiful reflection in the wavering water before he stomach took control of his actions. As he lost the contents of his stomach into the expansive water he heard a shrill beeping sound off. Sitting back onto his knees Ray wiped off his mouth with his sleeve as he looked around for the source of the sound. It was coming from the PKE meter clipped to his belt.

Taking hold of the meter Ray watched as the display lit up, indicating the presence of the rouge Class-5 that had evaded capture earlier in the bust. A small dot on the display moved around, causing Ray to move the device as he tracked the ghost with an indifferent focus. The dot vanished as the ghost escaped the range of the meter, but Ray still knew which direction it had gone. Looking up Ray scanned the area in an attempt to discern where the ghost may have taken refuge. Aside from the construction site and the opened areas of the docks, there were seemingly no structures of interest, save for one building that was left idle and abandoned in the distance. It was an old, condemned factory.

"Hm, I wonder..." Ray thought to himself when he suddenly became aware of a presence standing behind him. Turning he switched off the meter and looked up to see Egon standing behind him. "How's Winston?"

"He'll be fine." Egon arched an eyebrow inquisitively at Ray as he spoke. "He's likely suffered a fractured femur, but it's stable and won't require surgery, and he's also suffering from a dislocated shoulder." Egon kept studying Ray's flushed face, knowing that Ray was suffering from emotional guilt as well as physical anxiety. "I saw you were ill, do you need to go to the hospital as well?"

"No, I'm fine." Ray shakily stood back up, ignoring Egon's offered hand as he discreetly replaced the meter. "And I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For what happened to Winston. It was my fault. I should've-"

"Ray, it was an accident." Egon put up a hand to shush Ray's self blame before it even began. "You were the first to notice how unstable the site was, you weren't ignorant or oblivious. It was all an accident, and Winston knows this."

"Too bad I don't." Ray bowed his head sadly. "Neither does Peter."

With the mention of Peter's name Egon instantly understood why Ray had been suffering such harsh emotional and physical turmoil. As a psychologist Peter knew exactly what to say and how to say it, and unfortunately he often used this skill as a weapon when he felt defensive or angry.

Egon put a hand on Ray's shoulder. "Peter will understand in time. He'll also owe you a big apology, I'll make sure of it."

Ray never looked back up into his friend's kind eyes.

"Come on. We're going to drop off the trap and then visit Winston at the hospital." Egon coaxed Ray into returning to the parked hearse. "It'll be okay in the end."

Grimacing on the inside as well as the outside, Ray approached Ecto-1 just as the ambulance carrying Winston raced off down the street. There were no sirens blaring or lights flashing, which was a good sign because it meant that Winston wasn't in any immediate danger. Peter was sitting behind the wheel of Ecto-1 impatiently awaiting to arrival of his colleague.

"Come on, let's go." Peter commanded bitterly out his opened window.

"Maybe you should drive, Egon." Ray suggested quietly.

"No, I think he needs to drive. He needs to feel like he's in control of something." Egon noticed that Peter was going out of his way to avoid looking at Ray and sighed exasperatedly. "I'll ride shotgun though."

Climbing into the backseat of Ecto-1 Ray sat in abject silence as he stared out the back window toward the abandoned factory that sat idle the rear of the docks. A structure of metal and concrete that had long been left to rot and fade from memory. Watching the building shrink into the distance as Ecto-1 sped away, its siren blaring the lights flashing brightly, the blinking light of the occupied trap in his hands was almost hypnotic to the foggy mind of the guilt riddled occultist.

Ray began to plot his next move against the dangerous Class-5 entity. Alone.

In seemingly the blink of an eye Ecto-1 pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and came to an abrupt stop as Peter found an opened parking spot. "Let's go." Peter barked as he threw open his door and rushed into the hospital.

Egon followed behind Peter, pausing just outside the hospital entrance as he looked back to the car and spotted Ray still sitting in the backseat. "Ray? He called out loudly but not angrily. "Come on."

Hearing Egon's voice cut through the fog in Ray's head. Dropping the trap he threw open the back door and raced after Egon. "Sorry, I was... distracted."

Egon put a sympathetic hand on Ray's shoulder. "I'm sure Winston is still being examined. We haven't missed him."

It didn't take Peter long to locate a doctor and quiz the poor man about Winston's current condition. Several nurses had attempted to talk Peter into sitting down and waiting patiently, but their pleas went unchecked.

Resuming his usual role as the voice of reason Egon lead Ray into the waiting room before walking over to Peter and guiding the impatient man over into the same room to sit and wait with himself and Ray.

Tension filled the room as Peter sat at one end of the room and Ray sat at the polar opposite. Egon sat in the middle, acting as the reluctant buffer between the two cross Ghostbusters. Peter's eyes remained fixated on the floor as his hands wrung together like two coiling snakes. His gaze would only leave the floor momentarily to shoot an angered look to Ray, who felt the stare cut into him like a knife.

Just before Egon had a chance to say anything a doctor greeted the trio in the waiting room. "Hello, I'm Dr. Robinson." He was tall, brunette and in his early thirties. Offering his hand he greeted Peter first, then Egon. "I've been tending to Mr. Zeddemore."

"How is he?" Peter asked impatiently as he folded his arms across his chest defensively.

"He's going to be very sore for the next couple of weeks, but in time he'll make a full recovery."

The tension in Peter's shoulders visibly lessened as he finally relaxed a little. "Good. That's good."

Egon inquired about Winston's condition. "How severe are his injuries?"

"He's suffered a broken femur, which has been set and will remain in a cast for anywhere between six and eight weeks. He'll also be confined to a wheelchair in that time to ensure that no strain or excess weight destabilizes the break while healing."

Ray closed his eyes and shook his head as the image of seeing Winston trying to get around the firehouse in a wheelchair was too bleak for his sensitive soul to take.

"His shoulder had also been dislocated," Dr. Robinson continued. "and will be in a sling for three to four weeks to allow the muscles and tendons to heal. I don't suspect he'll require any corrective surgery as long as he keeps his arm immobilized."

Peter asked a follow up that tightened a knot in Ray's stomach. "What about the blood? He was bleeding pretty bad."

"Ah, well Mr. Zeddemore suffered several lacerations which as you imagine required multiple stitches. As a precaution he was also given a tetanus shot as well as a dose of antibiotics."

"Can we see him?" Egon asked with a somewhat antsy tone.

"Of course." Dr. Robinson extended an arm to direct the Ghostbusters down the hall and to their friend. "We'd like to keep him here for a few more hours for observation but he will be able to return home tonight."

"Good." Peter stated as if he had been vindicated. "No one likes hospitals."

Egon waited for Ray who continued to trail along behind his colleagues like a beaten dog. Walking shoulder to shoulder Egon and Ray followed Peter and Dr. Robinson to Winston's room, but Ray froze at the door. He couldn't see his friend, not yet. While Peter and Egon reunited with Winston inside the private room Ray discreetly took his leave.

Walking out of the hospital with a painful knot tightening in his gut he approached Ecto-1 and slammed his fist down angrily on the hood. A dent formed beneath his hand as a lone tear rolled down his cheek. "My fault... I'm an idiot."

Unable to bear even the briefest glimpse of his own reflection on the windshield he walked to the rear of the parked hearse and pulled open the backdoor. Reaching for the blinking trap in the backseat he pulled on his proton pack and began walking down the sidewalk to the firehouse in the distance.

"I need to find that Class-5 before anyone else gets hurt. I won't let anyone else get hurt because of me."

It was quiet inside the firehouse. Janine had taken the day off which meant that Ray was the only one inside the expansive brick building when he returned. With the trap slung over his shoulder he made his way to the basement where the containment unit was store. Placing the captured Class-3 ghost inside the paranormal prison Ray claimed the now empty trap and set out to locate the elusive Class-5 ghost, and he knew just where to begin his search.

* * *

Peter and Egon helped the nurses slide Winston from his bed and into the wheelchair that would be used to cart him around for several weeks until his leg healed properly. It was a little uncomfortable but at least Winston wouldn't have to spend two months laid up in the hospital.

"Comfy?" Peter asked as he put his hands on the the back of the wheelchair. "Need a pillow? Magazine? Beautiful nurse to sit on your lap?"

"No, I'm good." Winston laughed as he was pushed out his room and to the front desk. "Just glad I'm gettin' outta here!"

Egon was speaking with Dr. Robinson, being instructed on the proper methods of moving Winston to and from the wheelchair, as well as the proper dosage of pain killers and antibiotics while Peter helped Winston fill out his discharge papers.

With everything settled Winston looked around the waiting room a little confused. "Hey, where's Ray?"

Peter's more positive demeanor quickly flashed back to hostility, but only for a moment. "Probably pulling the car around front."

Egon joined Winston and Peter at the front desk, having heard the question. "But Peter, you have the keys."

"So I do." Peter pulled the keys from his pocket and twirled it around by the ring on his index finger.

"Maybe he's outside waiting for us." Egon then suggested.

"Only one way to find out." Peter decided as he resumed pushing the wheelchair toward the front doors. A nurse happily escorted the trio, as was hospital protocol, and assisted the men in loading Winston into the back of Ecto-1. "Thanks!"

"Have you seen our other friend?" Egon questioned the nurse before she returned to the hospital. "He arrived with us but now we can't seem to locate him."

"I saw your friend leave about an hour ago. He seemed upset."

Peter visibly flinched at her words and felt as though he was responsible for Ray's absence. "Thanks, we'll keep an eye out for him..."

Climbing into Ecto-1's passenger seat Egon gave Peter a stern look.

"What?" Peter asked trying to feign ignorance. "I didn't say anything to him!"

"Exactly." Was all Egon had to say as he stared out the front windshield.

* * *

Working alone Ray walked back down to the docks with a PKE meter in hand the vacant trap hanging over his shoulder. Walking passed the damaged construction sight took a toll on Ray's psyche as he watched the construction crew and fire department working together to clean up the wreckage and secure the area.

"Alright you blue menace," Ray held up the meter and began scanning the area. "show yourself!"

A shrill beep on the meter indicated that there was a paranormal presence in the vicinity. A small white dot on the meter's display began moving back and forth, as if a caged animal were pacing. The dot was focused primarily on a single location; the factory.

"I knew it!" Ray clipped the PKE meter back to his belt as he grabbed ahold of his proton pack's wand. Powering on the device he took a firm grip on the thrower and approached the factory. "You're not going to get away from me again. No more mistakes!"

Clicking on the flashlight attached to the shoulder strap of his proton pack Ray walked to the boarded up front entrance of the abandoned factory. Four large wooden boards barricaded the entrance. A red sign warning all trespassers to keep back, as well as a city citation referring to the condemnation of the building wasn't enough of a deterrent to keep the vengeance seeking Ghostbuster at bay.

Grabbing a hold of the lowest board over the door Ray pulled back and broke the board free from its old, rusty nails. Inside the factory it was dark, expansive and cold.

"I know you're in here." Ray shined his light across the barren floor. "Come out, come out wherever you are..."

* * *

"Nice and easy." Peter leaned down into the backseat to allow Winston to wrap his good arm around his shoulders. "Lean on me, don't worry about it."

Egon pulled the wheelchair from the rear compartment of Ecto-1 and wheeled it over to the side of the vehicle. Peter lowered Winston down into the wheelchair with Egon's help.

"There. Welcome home!" Peter pushed the wheelchair from the garage and to the staircase. "Uh... This might be a challenge."

"We'll think of something." Winston laughed at the silly situation. "In the meantime I'd like to know where Ray ran off to."

"Hm." Egon was checking their equipment in the rear compartment of the car. "The trap is gone and so is Ray's pack."

"You don't think..." Peter trailed off as he realized that Ray had gone on a solo mission. "He wouldn't! That'd be crazy!"

"I'm going to go check the containment unit." Egon hustled to the basement while Peter stayed with Winston.

"Oh man," Peter put a hand to his head as every possible worst case scenario popped into his mind. "Ray, tell me you didn't go rogue..."

Winston shook his head solemnly. "Think he feels responsible for what happened to me? It was an accident! And all things considered it could've been alot worse than it was."

Peter swallowed nervously as he felt himself pale. Did Ray go after the ghost because of what Peter had said to him? Was Peter to blame for Ray's recklessness? How could he ever face his friends again if he pushed Ray to do something so extreme out of misplaced anger?

"The inventory on containment unit has been recently updated." Egon returned to the garage with worry in his eyes. "But there's no sign of Ray, his proton pack and we're missing one trap."

"Then he really did..." Peter felt his legs go weak. "We have to find him before anything happens!"

"Right. You stay with Winston, I'll go-"

"Oh no, Egon!" Peter interjected adamantly. "I'm the one who pushed Ray, I'm the one who... who blamed him." He bowed is head in shame. "I'm going after him."

"I don't need you needlessly blaming yourself, too." Egon refuted stubbornly. "We'll both go look for Ray. Winston, we'll get you situated upstairs. We won't be gone too long."

"Hey, I'll be fine." Winston wasn't worried about being left alone for a few hours. "I've survived worse than this, do what you need to do. Find Ray."

* * *

Ray's heavy footsteps echoed noisily through the expansive factory. It was unseasonably cold inside the building and the air was stagnant with the smell of old rubber, plastic and oil. It was a potent stench that made Ray's eyes water as he ventured further inside the decrepit building. A thick layer of dust covered the floor which made the surface slippery and unstable for fast movement. More dust covered the unlabeled, rusty storage barrels that were left behind on each floor of the factory. By the acrid smell and faded warning insignias on the sides of the barrels it was evident that the contents within were hazardous, possibly toxic or even flammable.

Only the light on Ray's pack and glow of the meter's display guided him through the deserted floors as he tread up the metal staircase ever higher and higher.

The small dot on the meter's display steadily enlarged as Ray crept up closer to the ghost, narrowing down it's exact location. A large office on the top floor of the factory was secluded in a corner that overlooked the floors below, each floor separated by towering steel ladders connected to the spiraling catwalk that snaked upward along the walls. There was a faint flicker of blue light shining through the warped blinds and cracked, dust covered window of the suspicious office.

"Gotcha'..." Ray turned off the meter to keep it from making any sound that could alert the ghost to his presence. Walking slowly and bending low he neared the office and pressed his back up against the door. Peeking through the window he could make out the figure of the missing Class-5 ghost darting about the office impatiently. Aiming at the ghost through the window Ray opened fire at his target. "Found you!"

The ghost screeched as it struggled against the powerful containment beam being thrown by the proton pack. Powerful and angry the ghost was able to resist with a surprisingly little amount of effort, pulling the lone Ghostbuster back and forth across the floor.

"Whoa, whoa!" Ray struggled to plant his feet on the slick floor as the ghost burst through the window, shattering the remaining glass into large glistening shards all around him. Ray instinctively put up one arm to shield his face from the flying glass and as a result loosed his grip on the thrower. The ghost pulled him across the floor to the edge of the catwalk. "WHOA!"

The ghost was strong, much stronger than Ray had anticipated. It easily hoisted itself into the air, pulling Ray along with him like the tail of a kite. Putting both hands on the thrower Ray held on for dear life as the powerful ghost toyed with him.

"Oh no!" Ray looked down past his boots as he dangled helplessly in the air, at the mercy of the blue ghost. It was a steep drop with many metal surfaces and concrete beams between his body and the ground floor. Looking up at the ghost he saw the malevolent smile on its dead face as it looked down at Ray with the same gleam as a predator to its prey.

Taking a deep breath Ray let go of the thrower with one hand as he reached for the trap still draped over his shoulder. Fumbling with the switch he carefully held the trap upward until it was a few inches below the ghost and used his thumb to press the switch. "Whatever it takes..."

In a bright burst of light the ghost was enveloped in the energy emitted by the trap and pulled down with a force it couldn't out power. The ghost lost strength and began to float downward, the trap draining it of its own supernatural energy. As it lowered itself down a few floors renegade sparks began flying off of its body and latching onto any and all nearby material, igniting it in a rush of flames.

Ray switched off his proton pack, releasing the confinement stream from around the ghost just as the trap shut itself automatically. Without the ghost to hold him in midair Ray began to rapidly fall at an unstoppable, uncontrollable rate. He closed his eyes and felt himself free falling to the ground.

As he fell smoke and fire began to crawl through the factory, devouring every source of fuel it could consume.

Ray felt the wind knocked from his lungs as he collided heavily against the steel surface of the catwalk below. His body crumpled under the strain of the impact and he rolled helplessly from the catwalk down further, crashing through every level on the way down and spilling over the unlabeled barrels during his rapid descent.

A sharp pain in his upper back caused Ray to flinch and gasp for breath as an equally unbearable pain his chest weighed against his every effort to catch himself or brace for the next impact. Floor by floor he fell, his body twisting and turning like a rag doll until he at last reached the ground floor.

Numbness. Darkness. Suffocation.

Ray couldn't move, he couldn't see and he couldn't breathe. The crackling of flames that greedily ravaged the dilapidated building surrounded his prone form. Smoke choked what little breath he managed to catch from his starving, aching lungs as a dominating pressure on his chest restricted his breathing all the more.

He tried to move his arms but something was keeping them from moving. Whether it was a steel beam or slab of concrete he couldn't tell.

A familiar rhythmic beat filled his ears as the trap with the captured ghost laid just out of his reach. Weakly he opened one eye, the other swollen and covered with blood from an unknown head injury. Looking at the flashing, beeping light he flashed a small grin of triumph.

"Don't hurt... my friends..." His voice was shallow and and faint with each word he managed to utter before total blackness consumed him.

* * *

Peter drove Ecto-1 down the street, retracing the route that the team had taken while in pursuit of their two ghosts from the day's only bust. The street wasn't too busy thanks to the collapse at the docks. Fire trucks and police cars lined the street as the wreckage of the construction site was steadily being cleared away.

"Where is he? I don't see him." Peter was growing more worried with each passing second.

"He can't be too far." Egon surmised as he kept a vigil for any sign of their missing friend. "Ray would likely continue to search for out elusive Class-5 entity in this area."

"Can't believe he'd go after it without us."

"Why wouldn't he? After all, he believes that he's the one responsible for Winston's condition." Egon flashed Peter an accusing look. "He can't seem to comprehend that it was an accident. I found trace residue of ectoplasm that matches the same frequency of the missing Class-5 ghost."

"Hey, don't look at me like that! If you say the place was sabotaged by the ghost, then it was sabotaged. And you know, I didn't flat out tell Ray he was at fault."

"No, but you didn't tell him it was NOT his fault, either."

"He knows I don't blame him!" Peter defended bitterly.

"I'm not so sure. Ray took what happened very hard. You know how sensitive he is, especially when misfortune happens to one of his friends."

"Yeah, but..." Peter lost his train of thought when he spotted an ominous orange glow in the distance. "Hey Spenz, is that a fire?"

"I believe so." Egon switched on his PKE meter and scanned the area. "There's a trace signature of the Class-5 ghost coming from that direction, as well as-" Egon's eyes widened with fear and he double checked the display. "Ray's biorhythm!"

"Ray!" Peter felt sick as he watched the flames destroying the factory. "Hold on Egon, I'm flooring it!"

Ecto-1 sped down the docks toward the burning factory, the lights and sirens blaring loudly and gathering the attention of the onlookers who were distracted by the collapse at the construction site. Several of the fire fighters who had been assisting in the clean up took notice of both Ecto-1 and immediately of the fire that the iconic hearse was now racing toward.

"If Ray's in there," Peter's eyes were wide with fear as the magnitude of the fire became all the more obvious the closer the came to the factory. "I'll never forgive myself!"

Slamming down the brakes the hearse came to a screeching halt several yards away from the factory. Out of harm's way but not too far in the event of a necessary mass exodus.

Peter flung open his door and raced toward the building with Egon following right at his heels. Approaching the boarded up entrance Peter and Egon worked to pry off the remaining boards to ensure that the exit was cleared.

"Come on!" Peter pulled his black t-shirt up from under his jumpsuit and used it to cover his nose and mouth.

Egon followed suit as he crouched down, keeping low to the floor. "Get down!" Egon yelled at Peter who was standing tall in the smoke. "The air is heavier than the smoke, keep your head down!"

Reluctantly Peter stooped down and struggled to see through the choking dark smoke. The sound of sirens returned to the outside air as the nearby fire fighters responded to the nearby blaze and began working on dousing the flames.

Peter and Egon stayed close to each other as they scanned the area for any sign of Ray. All the debris on the ground obscured their range of vision while also creating obstacles.

"Ray?" Peter called out once before covering his mouth again.

"Ray!" Egon yelled for his friend, carefully listening for any response. "Ray, answer us!"

"Shh!" Peter froze in place as he honed in on a familiar sound. "There! I can hear a trap!"

Egon listened in and agreed. "You're right, he has to be close!"

Peter and Egon groped around in the thick smoke as they neared the sound of the high pitched beeping.

Peter's hand brushed against the cool metal of the trap and focused on the blinking light on the top. "Here! He has to be here!" He clipped the occupied trap to his belt as he resumed his search for Ray.

Egon reached out near where Peter had found the trap. His eyes came to rest on a still arm reaching out from under a pile of debris to where the trap had been found. "Oh no..."

"Ray..." Peter proceeded to grab onto Ray's arm and run his fingers along Ray's wrist as he looked for a pulse. "Egon... He's not-"

"Let's get him out of here!" Egon shouted as he hefted the broken pieces of platform and boards that pinned his friend to the ground.

Working together Peter and Egon managed to uncover their downed friend in record time. Blood matted down Ray's hair and completely smothered one eye. A large bruise on the side of his face extended down from his bad eye all the way to his jawline. His face was pale and expressionless as he laid helpless and unconscious on the ground.

Egon put an arm under Ray's neck and shoulders. "Come on," he paused to cough quickly. "get his legs!"

Peter stooped down and put his arms under Ray's lower back and beneath his knees. "I got him."

Synchronizing their pace Peter and Egon managed to heft Ray up from the ground and carry him to the exit. An array of flashing lights from the fire engines outside were like a beacon of hope to the fleeing Ghostbusters. Breaking through the smoke and into the waning daylight Peter was greeted by a paramedic who put her hand on his shoulder and helped guide him to the awaiting ambulance than always accompanied the engine in the event of an injury.

"Are you hurt?" The paramedic asked as she lead the trio to safety.

"We're fine," Peter coughed again. "but our friend here isn't so lucky!"

"We'll take care of him." She stated as her partner rolled over a gurney to lay Ray down on. "Why was he in there?" She asked as Peter and Egon laid Ray down. Ray was deathly pale and unresponsive to the world around him. His bruised face was both painful and peaceful in his state of unconsciousness.

"It's... It's a long story." Peter coughed again, he covered his mouth as his lungs rebelled against the smoke that had invaded his body.

The paramedic team, the woman who escorted the Ghostbusters to safety and her partner, a young man with their equipment at the ready, examined Ray quickly was efficiently. The male paramedic tore open Ray's jumpsuit and cut open the black t-shirt that covered his chest to attach the leads from the portable cardiac monitor to his pale skin, while the female paramedic ran the bell of her stethoscope over Ray's chest.

"No breath sounds." She announced, her voice steady and sure as she spoke. "No heartbeat." The flat display on the cardiac monitor confirmed her findings. "Starting CPR."

"No..." Peter's stomach dropped. If it wasn't for Egon's strong hands holding him back Peter would've been hovering over Ray in a desperate bid to do everything in his power to assist. Every motion of the heart rate was an artificial beat caused the paramedic's skilled hands trying to stimulate the still heart in Ray's chest into beating on its own once more. "Ray..."

Egon and Peter watched helplessly as the female paramedic began compressing Ray's chest in a controlled rhythm. Her partner worked swiftly to intubate the dying Ghostbuster. Attaching an ambubag to the tube that was inserted down Ray's throat the second paramedic began pumping forced air into Ray's starved lungs. A small trickle of blood ran from the side of Ray's mouth and down his face.

"We need to move." The female paramedic urged as she and her partner worked to load the gurney into the back of the ambulance. "Don't try to follow," she ordered Peter and Egon. "it'll be too dangerous to try to keep up."

Peter was stunned into silence as he watched a dear friend being carted away from the scene of the fire. The ambulance lit up it's emergency lights and sounded off the siren as it sped away from the scene of the fire to the hospital a few blocks away.

"What have I done?" Peter fell to his knees in abject horror. "I... I killed him!"

"No Peter!" Egon was down on his knees beside Peter with an arm wrapped around his shoulder. "You didn't do this!"

"Egon... I... I made him feel..." Peter's face paled as heavy streams of tears flowed down the sides of his face. "He was here because of how cruel I was! I made him go in there!"

"No!" Egon pulled Peter up from the ground and held him steady by grabbing on his upper arms. "Ray can be as stubborn as anyone else! He came here because he chose to. Right now he needs us, Peter. He needs us to be with him and he needs us to believe that he will be okay."

Peter couldn't bear to look at Egon. The same fiery shame that burned his heart he couldn't help but feel that it was the same deplorable pain that he had projected onto Ray earlier.

"Come on." Egon pulled Peter over to Ecto-1 and forced him to sit in the front passengers seat. Climbing into the driver's side Egon turned the key in the ignition to bring the hearse to life. "Don't blame yourself Peter. Ray wouldn't want that."

"I can't... I can't help it!" Peter confessed as heart wrenching sobs threatened to choke away his quivering voice. "I'm a horrible person! How can I even claim to be his friend?!"

"Peter!" Egon slapped Peter in the back of the head with an opened palm. "Snap out of it!"

The unexpected strike was enough to pull Peter out of his downward spiral of self hatred long enough to see the hospital coming into view. The same hospital where Winston had been admitted earlier in the day.

"Egon... We need to... We need to tell Winston. And Janine. We should..."

"Breathe Peter." Ecto-1 parked in the lot of the hospital. Egon put a reassuring hand on Peter's shoulder. "Breathe and keep calm. Ray will be okay."

"Right, right..." Peter wiped the tears from his face as he took in a deep shaking breath. It was then he noticed the trap clipped to his belt, still beeping flashing. "As soon as we're back at HQ we'll make Ray has the honors of locking this 'thing' up, personally!"

"Agreed."

After taking a moment to compose himself Peter slowly exited the hearse and let Egon lead him into the hospital. A flurry of activity in the distance made Peter feel sick again. Whenever a swarm of nurses and doctors gathered over a single patient it meant that the patient was in critical, if not grave condition and needed immediate full attention.

"Oh no." Peter couldn't keep the comment to himself. A firm hand wrapped around his arm as a means of keeping him ground in reality.

"Take it easy. It always looks worse than it actually is."

"Y-yeah. You're right."

Through the window of the closed off exam room Peter and Egon could see two doctors and three nurses hovering over a man who was unresponsive. It didn't take either man long to recognize the face of their dying friend laying on the gurney. The doctors were confirming possible diagnoses and treatments with one another before issuing an order to the ever attentive nurses. The paramedics were still with Ray as well. The female paramedic was continuing to perform CPR while her partner continued to breathe for Ray.

It was a surreal moment for Peter. Never before had he seen Ray so close to death. Never before had he seen his friends so weak and helpless. It was in this moment he felt as weak and helpless as he did as a small child when his own mother had fallen ill and was taken to the hospital.

A crash cart was wheeled over to Ray and the paddles of a defibrillator were placed down to his chest. The attending medical personnel stepped back from the gurney as the defibrillator sent a life saving jolt through Ray's heart. In response to the powerful, but controlled, flow of electricity Ray's back arched as his entire body lifted up from the gurney as every muscle in his body spasmed.

"Egon... I'm going to be sick..." Peter wrapped an arm around his uneasy stomach as green washed into his pale complexion.

Egon put a hand on Peter's back. He couldn't tear his focus from the life saving procedure being performed on Ray just over in the next room.

Ray's body arched a second time as the doctor administered a second shock to his heart.

"He's not going to-"

The room suddenly calmed as Ray's heart slowly began beating again on its own. The cardiac monitor displaying a slow but steady rhythm that thankfully confirmed Ray was still alive.

"He made it." Peter nearly sobbed. "He's..." He put a hand to his mouth as he doubled over suddenly.

"Still sick?" Egon asked sincerely.

Peter straightened up slowly and forced his stomach to contain itself. "No, I'll be fine."

Their jobs done the paramedic team exited the exam room and spotted the two Ghostbusters transfixed on the patient through the exam room window.

"Hey," the female paramedic put her hand lightly on Egon's arm. "your friend is alive. He's stable for the moment, but..."

Peter caught the hesitation in her voice. "But what?"

"It's likely he's suffering from internal hemorrhaging. He has symptoms of crush syndrome and needs to be monitored carefully."

"Crush syndrome?" Peter repeated softly.

Egon was familiar with the term, he nodded his head lightly. "He'll likely require surgery to stop the bleeding."

"That's right." The paramedic confirmed. "The doctor will be out to speak with you shortly. Until then I'd call in his family. I've seen patients come back from worse all because they had love and support from family. He'll need all the support he can get."

As the paramedics took their leave of the ER Peter couldn't help but mutter a dry response under his breath. "We are his family."

Peter took a seat in the waiting room. With his head pressed into his hands he leaned forward in his chair and replayed the day's events over and over in his mind. Every harsh glare he shot to Ray, every cold word he uttered with the intent to hurt Ray, every push he made to keep Ray back and away from from the team. A team which was composed of his most trusted colleagues and closest friends.

Egon had taken the liberty of calling both Janine and Winston. The kind yet fiery receptionist agreed to go back to the firehouse and stay with Winston while both Egon and Peter stayed at the hospital for Ray. It was also agreed that the very first change in Ray's condition meant that Egon had to call the firehouse immediately and share the news.

Hours ticked by at an improbably slow pace. Each ticking of the second hand on the clock seemed to echo through room like a bell in its belfry. No one joined the two Ghostbusters in the waiting room. Whether it was intentional or coincidence that Peter and Egon were left on their own no one could say for sure, not that it even mattered.

"Nine hours." Peter mumbled between his hands still pressed to his face.

"Pardon?" Egon had been staring blankly at the far wall, his mind going over mathematical equations to preoccupy his thoughts.

"It's been nine hours since Ray was admitted." He looked up and folded his hands beneath his chin as he rested head against his palms. "Shouldn't we know something by now?"

"It's difficult to say for certain." Egon's tone was even and analytical. "Between the smoke inhalation and internal bleeding it's likely that-"

"Stop, I... I don't want to know." Peter looked ill again.

"Sorry Peter. I wasn't trying to upset you."

"You didn't do it Egon. I did it to myself."

"Peter, you have to stop blaming yourself."

"I can't help it. Now I know exactly how Ray felt when Winston was admitted. And I'm the one who made him feel that way."

Egon didn't know how to respond. All he could do to comfort his friend was sit and listen to his every word.

"I know it wasn't Ray's fault, I know that! I was just... I was angry and I needed to make someone else hurt." Peter closed his eyes and sighed wearily. "Just a weakness of character, I guess."

"Not so much a weakness as it's confirmation that you're human." Egon tried his best to ease Peter's conscience. "We were all upset."

"But I'm the only one who lashed out. I wasn't even the one hurt."

"Peter, you're someone who doesn't let too many people get close to you. But when you do you become very protective over that person." Egon gave Peter a reassuring smile. "I remember when you wouldn't let me out of your sight when I was incapacitated by a debilitating migraine. Although I was coveting peace and quiet I must admit having you watching my back and keeping vigil was a surprising comfort."

A doctor walked into the waiting room. He was wearing blue scrubs that were soaked through with sweat and stained with blood. As he removed his surgical mask he revealed himself to be Dr. Robinson. "Gentleman."

"Dr. Robinson." Egon was relieved to see a familiar face. "How is Ray?"

"Dr. Stantz is stable. Aside from smoke inhalation and several lacerations, he had suffered several broken ribs; one of which punctured the lower lobe of his left lung which in turned caused it to collapse. We were able to repair the damage and reinflate his lung."

Peter's eyes welled up with unshed tears.

"When can we see him?" Egon asked eagerly. "We're his next of kin, his only family."

"Dr. Stantz is still recovering from the anesthesia and won't be responsive for some time. As soon as he's moved from post-op into recovery a nurse will come and escort you to his room."

"Thank you, doctor." Egon shook Dr. Robinson's hand before the doctor took his leave. "Peter, I'm going to call Janine. Would you like me to bring you some coffee?"

"N-no." Peter stammered as he struggled to keep his emotions in check. "I'm fine. Go call Janine."

Nodding Egon left the waiting room in search of a public phone. As soon as Egon was out of sight Peter left the waiting room and bolted into the nearest restroom. Rushing into the nearest unoccupied stall Peter fell to his knees and threw up into the toilet. His entire body ached and his stomach felt as though it was on fire as he vomited. His sickness was a mixture of emotional pain and physical stress, but regardless of the cause it was unpleasant all the same.

Sitting on the floor of the stall Peter pushed the door shut and began to openly weep into his hands, not caring if anyone walked into the restroom.

For what seemed like only a few seconds of privacy Peter unleashed his pent up emotions in a cleansing cry. In actuality he had been crying for almost thirty minutes. A gentle knock on the stall door caused Peter to silence himself and take in a deep breath. "Occupied."

"Peter, it's me."

"Hi Egon."

"Are you alright?"

"Fine." Peter wiped away his tears as continued to sit on the floor. "I'm fine."

Egon slowly opened the door and spied his friend sitting alone in an emotional upheaval. Rather than offer a hand to help Peter to his feet or leave him alone, Egon chose to sit down on the floor beside his friend and wrap his arm around Peter's shoulders. "Crying is a healthy, normal response."

Without another word Peter continued to cry, every sob wracking his body causing him to tremble under Egon's arm. Never one to show his true emotions Peter felt incredibly vulnerable while also unexpectedly safe with Egon now sitting at his side.

It was another four hours after speaking with Dr. Robinson were Egon and Peter allowed to visit Ray.

The private room that Ray had been taken to was large, warm and full of bright light. The man himself was not so fortunate. Laying in the large bed Ray looked unusually small. His pale was drawn save from the swelling over his eye and his jaw. A large white bandage was wrapped around his head around his temple, concealing the painful laceration that caused the blood flow down into his eye. The cardiac monitor beeped in synchronization with Ray's slow heart rate. He was still intubated, an attached respirator helping him to breath through the broken ribs and repaired lung damage. An IV had been inserted into his right arm, pumping nutrients, pain killers and antibiotics into his damaged body.

Egon stood by Ray's bed and put his hand down on Ray's left arm. His skin felt unnaturally cold and clammy. "Ray, we're here."

Peter slowly took a seat beside Ray's bed and stared at the lifeless face of his friend hooked up to so many different machines and tubes. "Ray? Can you hear us?"

A slight increase of the heart rate on the monitor was the only response they received.

"Think he heard us?"

"It's possible." Egon confirmed as he watched the display curiously. "Winston and Janine are going to be here soon. We're all going to stay with you until you wake up."

"I know Winston will be happy to see you." Peter tagged on being as sincere and warm as possible. "He's probably bored without us back home."

Egon realized that it might be a little difficult for Janine to help Winston move around with his leg in a full cast. "I'm going to go make sure Winston has all additional assistance necessary to exit Janine's car. I'll be back in a moment."

Alone with Ray, who was deeply unconscious and very still, Peter put his hand over top of Ray's let it rest there for a moment. "I'm not sure if you can hear us or not, but it needs to be said. I'm sorry Ray. I am so, so sorry! I had no right to project my anger onto you. It's just..." He took a moment to breathe and recollect his thoughts before continuing. "when I was a kid and my mom... my mother got sick my dad was never really... there. He wasn't there for her or for me. He never took responsibility." Squeezing Ray's hand Peter found the courage to continue. "I hate seeing my friends, my loved ones in pain. And I get angry. I'm sorry I took my anger out on you. Please, forgive me."

Ray's hand remained limp and still beneath Peter's warm touch.

"Yeah. I don't blame you." Peter loosed his grip only so slightly. "I would've forgive me either."

* * *

Egon met Janine and Winston in the waiting room. He put a hand up to pause them before they made their way down to Ray's room.

"Egon, is something wrong?" Winston asked with a worried expression plastered across his face.

"No. But I feel like Peter needs to have a moment along with Ray. We'll just wait a few minutes and then rejoin him."

Janine crossed her arms as she scoffed at Peter's insecurity. "What is with those two? It seems like when one of them gets something as simple as cold the other acts like the fate of the world is in the balance, and then the very next day if one bumps into the other's shoulder it seems like World War III is going to take place in the firehouse! I just don't get it..."

Egon smiled a little. "To Peter Ray is the little brother he never had. And as brothers often do, they'll occasionally disagree only to immediately ally when adversity comes their way."

"Well they better get back on the same page, quick! I hate having to choose sides!"

* * *

A slight twitch from beneath Peter's palm caught his attention. "Ray?" Picking up Ray's hand in his own Peter squeezed lightly and stood over Ray. "Ray, if you can hear me squeeze my hand." A few seconds passed with no response. "Come on Ray, I know you can hear me. Squeeze my hand, come on, squeeze my hand!"

The door to the room opened as Egon, Winston and Janine entered quietly. Egon saw what was transpiring and put out an arm to keep Janine from trying to approach.

"Ray, squeeze my hand!" Peter begged as he stared at the lifeless face with an intensity that could only rival a confrontation with the Devil himself.

Slowly, weakly Ray's fingers tightened; curling around Peter's hand in recognition to his friend's words.

"That's it!" Peter beamed his trademarked cheesy grin. "I knew you could hear me!"

Egon lowered his arm as he joined Peter at Ray's bedside. "Ray? Can you open your eyes?"

Ray's eyes began to flutter briefly before he suddenly began to struggle to breathe despite the respirator in place. The warning alarms on the monitor began sounding off and Dr. Robinson appeared in the room with a nurse at his side.

"What's happening Egon?" Peter asked as he kept his hand gripped to Ray's.

"He's choking." Egon answered as he stepped back out of the way. "He's resisting the respirator."

Dr. Robinson ran his stethoscope over Ray's chest and nodded to the nurse. "We're going to need you to step outside for a moment."

"But-"

Egon gently pried Peter's hand loose from Ray's and set Ray's hand down on the bed. "Just for a few minutes Peter, come on.

Janine helped push Winston out of the room while Egon pulled Peter outside.

"He was waking up, wasn't he?" Peter asked nervously.

"Yes. That's why he started choking, his gag reflex was responding to the tube down his throat."

"So he couldn't breathe?"

"No, he was breathing but he was trying to breathe on his own and as a result the respirator was flooding his body with too much oxygen."

Winston shook his head. "That can make him really sick."

"Oh, great." Peter was getting flustered all over again. "What else can go wrong?"

The door to the room opened again as the nurse motioned for the group to return inside. Peter was the first to Ray's side while Dr. Robinson stood at the end of the bed making notes for Ray's chart. The tube had been removed from Ray's throat and an oxygen mask was placed over his nose and mouth to ease is breathing.

"Ray? You still with us pal?"

Again Ray's fluttered before finally opening fully. His unusually colored eyes were glassy and unfocused, but there was some recognition behind the soulful eyes of the gentle natured occultist.

"Look at me." Peter encouraged, resisting the urge to slap Ray's face. "It's Peter."

Ray's eyes glanced about the room before landing on Peter's face. As the blurry image came into focus Ray let out a weak smile. His voice was gone thanks to the invasive tube but he still managed to mouth the word: "Hi."

"Hi!" Peter responded happily. "Good to see you awake."

Egon helped push Winston over to the other side of the bed. "Welcome back." Winston put his hand on Ray's arm, careful not to pull on the IV. "Guess we're both going to be laid up for the next couple of weeks, huh?"

Ray tried give Winston a grin but the swelling of his jaw and throat was too painful.

Janine breathed a massive sigh of relief and decided that the room needed some color. "You know what, I forgot to get some flowers. I'll be right back, don't do anything stupid while I'm gone." She glared at Peter in particular before she left the room, Dr. Robinson following her satisfied that Ray wasn't in any danger.

Egon had been pondering what Winston just said and realized they might have a little problem. "Hm, with two members of the team down we may have to close down for a little while."

"Close down?" Peter didn't like the sound of that. "Why don't we hire on some new recruits? You know, break 'em in and get them to do all the heavy lifting for us until Ray and Winston are back in action."

"We can't afford to hire two new temps." Egon answered curtly. "And I believe that anyone that we did hire wouldn't make it through the first night."

"True." Peter stood up straight, tall and proud. "It takes a special kind of person to be a Ghostbuster."

"Hey Egon," Winston caught the physicists attention pretty easily. "I could go for some coffee. How about you?"

"Always." Egon picked up on Winston's hint and discreetly pushed the wheelchair out of the room. "Peter, do you want anything?" He called through the door before leaving entirely.

"Nah, I'm good Spenz. Thanks." Peter didn't want to leave Ray's side for a moment.

Ray was grateful to have Peter at his side. He was also relieved to see that Peter was no longer upset and looking at him with anger in his eyes.

"You feeling okay? Need another pillow or something?"

Ray gently shook his head 'no'. With a shaking hand Ray pulled the mask down from his face in an attempt to speak. He had to swallow the pain in his throat a few times before he could even make an attempt.

"Easy Ray, don't hurt yourself." Peter cautioned as he watched struggling to find his voice.

"Peter..." His voice was hoarse and very scratchy. The tube left his throat raw while the smoke left it swollen. "I... I heard what you said."

"You did?" Peter felt himself blushing a little bit. "How much did you hear, exactly?"

"Peter," he grabbed onto Peter's hand and squeezed as much as he dared. "I forgive you."

Peter smiled as he began to cry a little again. "Thank you Ray. You're a good friend."

"So are you." Ray smiled. "Never forget it. You're my brother."

**-The End**


End file.
